For the Best
by luna raya
Summary: The wedding invitation had her name on it, but his wasn't next her hers. She was marrying someone else, and he had no one to blame but himself. Even though he knew it was for the best, it didn't make it hurt any less. A story of young love that couldn't last forever.


_**I seem to be on a one-shot roll. Here's just a short little story about young love and watching it slip away. Hope you all enjoy.**_

_**Disclaimer: Just borrowing.**_

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"_You are cordially invited to the wedding of Isabella Marie Swan and…."_

He didn't finish reading the rest. Slumping into his couch, he let the invitation fall to the floor, his head falling to rest in his hands. He hadn't seen her face to face in three years, but hearing that she was getting married, that she'd completely moved on was like a punch to the gut. But it was to be expected.

It was his wish for her to move on, after all. He'd asked for it, wished for it, and now that it was actually happening, there was nothing he could do to stop it. There was no one to blame but himself. Bella, as she preferred to be called, had left him behind. Just like he stupidly wanted her to.

All throughout high school they'd been inseparable. Best friends at first, and then when she turned sixteen, they became more. She was his first kiss, his first time, his first love. He always imagined forever with her. And she always seemed content with it, happy to be part of his plans.

But things change. People change.

As graduation came, so did college. For the first time, they weren't on the same page. He'd always wanted to be a lawyer, and Dartmouth afforded him the best chance. As did the scholarship he received there. But Bella always marched to her own drum. She loved to read and to write, but she was also an amazing artist too. And UCLA offered her the chance to draw and write. So while she stayed on the West Coast, comfortable in the warm California sun, he flew east, to the frigid cold of the north. But it was for the best. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

It worked for a while, too. Freshman year was so busy, he was glad they'd decided to take a break. He knew that if they hadn't, that if they'd tried to keep their relationship going while be so far from each other, that the strain of the distance, and their schedules would have been their undoing. And they probably would have grown to resent each other in the end too. This way was better. At least, that's what he told himself.

They saw each other again in the summer. She was so radiant, her hair lighter, her skin a little darker. But it was her eyes that showed how much she had changed in such a short amount of time. They were wide and bright. They were happy. They were filled with so much happiness that he felt overwhelmed by it.

She was enjoying school. She loved her classes, liked her teachers. And California was treating her like the golden sunshine she was. He was happy for her. But he was also a little sad, too. She'd made so many new friends that he almost felt like he was less important to her life than he used to be. He knew he was being ridiculous; he'd made new friends too.

But there was something else in her eyes that she wasn't saying. He knew her well enough to know that much. It was confirmed several months later, at Thanksgiving break when his mother mentioned her, saying she'd heard from Renee, Bella's mother, about a new guy in Bella's life. Renee felt bad saying this to his mom, but she couldn't help but gush over how smitten Bella seemed to be.

He knew he had no right to say anything. He had no right to feel anything. He'd put this whole disaster in motion. Even though that relationship didn't last past the school year, it still tugged at him the choices he'd made.

"_College starts in a couple weeks for you, doesn't it?" he asks as they lounge in his room._

"_Yeah. Dad's not thrilled I'm going to Los Angeles, but Mom is over the moon thinking I'll get to see movie stars." She laughs at her mom before sitting up. "Why, what's up?"_

"_I was just thinking. We're going to be on different parts of the country. Completely opposite coasts and thought processes."_

"_Yeah, and?"_

"_What if… what if we, I don't know, took a break?" he broaches, hesitant about her reaction._

"_Are you breaking up with me?" Her voice is loud, and full of surprise._

"_No, I mean, yes. Kind of." He knows this is a bad idea, but just thinking of being so far away from her and not being able to do anything to remedy that is killing him. He knows UCLA is the best school for her and she'd be miserable on the east coast with him. And he knows the program at Dartmouth is best for his future. Suddenly, their mutual futures no longer criss cross. "Bella, we're going to be so far away from each other. I don't want you to feel guilty if you make new friends. I don't want you to feel bad if you start to like someone else but because we're still together, even though we can't see each other, you can't do anything about it."_

_She sits up and looks down on him like he's grown another head. "So let me get this straight," she starts, and there are tears in her voice. "You are breaking up with me just _in case_ one of us meets someone and this way we won't have to feel guilty about it? Do I have this right?" He only nods. "You honestly think I'm so shallow that I could be with you, even thousands of miles apart, and not respect it enough to develop feelings for someone else?"_

"_No, not shallow. But think about it, we're apart, and we can't always talk like we do. Sometimes things happen."_

_Her laugh is humorless. "Wow, sounds like you have really thought this through." She looks at him, scrutinizing his every facial movement. "Have you already met someone? I mean you went to New Hampshire for orientation in June, did you see someone you liked? Is that why you are saying this now? I mean we're both leaving soon so it would make sense."_

"_What? No!" He pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I just think it would make things easier. Look at Emmett. He and Angela were together from Junior High and last year he goes off to Northwestern and meets Rosalie." At this her face starts to lose the anger. She knows he's right. "Remember how they said they'd be together forever? Remember how they promised nothing would come between them? He wasn't even the whole country away and madly in love with Angela and two months into school he meets Rosalie Hale and is done for. I don't want us to go through that."_

"_Angela even moved on with Ben after she and Emmett broke up. I've never seen her happier than she is now." She sniffs a little. "I really like Rosalie, too. She keeps Emmett in line."_

_He nods in agreement. "I don't want us to miss out on anything. But more than that, I don't want us to feel like we have to. I love you, but if you find someone else," he pauses because even though he knows this is right now, it doesn't make the hurt any less, "then I want you to move on. I want you to find happiness."_

He was right. But he was still an idiot for not trying to make it work between them.

The next time he heard about her from his mother, he found out she had another boyfriend, and this one was more serious.

After a while, she started not coming home for holidays as much. If that was the case, her parents would either visit, or she would be at her new boyfriend's house. But as their college days went on, he heard less and less of her until he heard none of her. They even stopped emailing each other. They had completely grown apart. And he knew he had no one else to blame.

At least if they'd tried to stay together, he could have held on to her a little longer. But he knew she was always meant for bigger and better things. And he still had years of school to go before he became the lawyer he wanted to be.

Bella had graduated this past spring. He'd flown in just before Finals to watch her walk across the stage. There was a whole cheering section devoted just to her, he'd noticed. Even Emmett was there, and his new wife, Rosalie. He hadn't realized they'd kept in touch with Bella. Then again, he'd been so caught up in his schooling that he'd lost contact with nearly everyone from home and stopped paying attention to who she still talked with.

After the ceremony was over, he'd tried finding her, but she was surrounded by her cheering section and he didn't think it'd be right to intrude, especially if her boyfriend was present. She didn't even know he was planning to attend. He did see Emmett though. They promised to try and keep in touch. He also got to meet some new friends of hers, Alice and Jasper, who were standing with Emmett and Rosalie. She had a whole new life beside her.

Two months ago he found out she'd scored a gallery showing in West Hollywood. He was trying out for a new internship and couldn't make it. He knew that in high school he would have moved Heaven and Earth to be there for her, but things had shifted. He did manage to find out about it online. He even bought a painting of hers. It was called "_Midnight Sun_" and he knew that she had created it before they left for school. It broke his heart a little to see that something she had done about him, because she had told him so, she could sell so easily. But at least he was able to buy it, hang on to those memories of their youth.

Picking up the invitation, he examined it closely. He knew why she sold it. She was doing just as he'd said. She had moved on and holding on to this painting was holding on to her past. It was time for her to move on to her future. Move onto a future with someone else. He knew she didn't send the invitation out of spite, but it still stung to know it was not his name beside hers.

With a sigh, he placed the invitation on the coffee table before him and looked at the date: December twenty-first, a Christmas wedding. Just like Bella always wanted.

There were books for corporate law scattered everywhere. But the twenty-first would be winter break. He knew he wouldn't miss seeing her smile.

With his phone pressed to his ear, he heard her answer, "Hello?"

"Hey, Bella. Just wanted to call and say I got your invite. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

She laughed her sweet laugh, told him it was so good to hear from him. He said the same and after a bit of small talk, they hung up. With his head in his hands, he read the invite once more knowing it was for the best but still hurting nonetheless.

"_You are cordially invited to the wedding of Isabella Marie Swan, and Edward Anthony Masen."_

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_Thanks for reading. Drop me a review, let me know what you thought:)_


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